Musical instrument



Feb. 19 1924. 1,484,148

P. S OLT MUS ICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 31 1921 Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

PHILIP S. LT, OF SOUTH PEKIN, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed May 31,

To all "whom it may concern: Be it known that I, PHILIP S. 0LT, acitizen of the United States, residing at South Pekin, in the county ofTazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain. new and usefulImprovements in Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the type which includesa reed as the sound producing means.

More particularly, the invention has to do with a musical instrumentemployed in orchestra work for producing various musical tones and forimitating various sounds.

The main object of my invention is to provide an instrument of the typenamed wherein a member is provided adapted to engage the reed andarranged to be adjusted upon the same to vary the sounds produced byhaving control of the vibrations thereof.

Another object is to provide a form of instrument of the type namedwhose reed may be made to produce various tones by means of anadjustable member in contact with said reed, said member being soarranged as to be capable of adjustment by the fingers of the handholding said instrument, to the end that the other hand may be free forother duties.

In the appended drawing:

Figure 1 shows, in perspective, the general appearance of my improvedinstrurent.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, and,

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing parts thereof in section.

The numeral 1 designates the body of the instrument which consists of atubular portion, preferabl of hard rubber, into one end 45 of which isadiipted to snugly fit a tubular part 2 having at its inner end anextended tongue 3 channeled longitudinally at 4- upon which lies a reed5 secured at its inner end in suitable manner in the part 2.

So far as described, the device does not greatly differ from the presentmanner of constructing this type of device, but I shall now describe thenovelty of the present construction by which the reed 5 is placed un- 5der control so that its vibrations may be gov- 1921. Serial 1T0.473,866.

erned whereby the various tones are obtained therefrom. r

The body 1 is provided with a longitudinal groove 6 upon its outersurface at one end, in this instance, being within an ornamentalenlargement 7 of said body. Likewise, there is a similar groove 8 in thetubular part 2 at that end which engages the bore of said body 1. Thesaid groves, itwill be observed, lie opposite the tongue and reed.

9 is a Hat member of ribbon steel, for ex ample, bent into the generalform of a U, one extremity being straight and slidable in the groove 6being held in position therein by a retaining strip 10 lying across itand secured to the enlargement 7. Part of the other extremity liesparallel to the extremity first named, being positioned in the groove 8.

The ribbon member, where it extends into the bore of the body 1 beyondthe end of the part 2 and said groove 8, is bent toward the reed 5,which lies opposite said groove 8, and bears upon the same.

Since the ribbon 9 is permanently carried by the body 1, the part 2 maybe withdrawn when and as desired should the reed require any adjustment.In replacing the part, its reed must always have proper relation to theribbon since said part cannot be introduced into the body without theribbon and the groove 8 registering- A convenient extension for thefinger is carried by the ribbon and may take the form shown at 11, forexample. The adjustment of the ribbon along the reed must, of course,alter the rate of vibration of the latter, the resultant tone beinghigher or lower accord ing to whether the said ribbon is moved towardthe free end of the reed or towards its root.

When held in the hand with the end of the part 2 directed into the moreor less closed palm, various sounds are produced because of the changein the cavity produced in said palm. Then by means of the extension 11on the ribbon, the fingers of the same hand may shift said ribbon forproducing the de sired results.

My device is particularly adapted for orchestra work so that it can beused wholly in one hand and adjusted by the fingers of that hand andwithout the use of the other in any way which in trap work is usuallyoccupied with other duties.

By reference to Figure 2, it will. be observed that the tongue 3 iscurved at that side upon which the reed lies and that the reed isstraight. Usually this surface of the tongue is straight While the reed,which is usually of rubber, as yielding the best re sults in practice,is curved away from the said tongue to permit the passage of the air forthe required production of vibrations in said reed.

But since the bending of the reed requires time, care, and many trialsto obtain the proper sound, and since, also, the reed is not inclined toretain its bent form, it is left straight or in its natural. flat form.l l'ith the curved tongue-surface always of the same form, the toneproduced is the correct one, and there is no likelihood of: any changein the position. of the parts that would result in a change of tone.

I claim:

A musical instrument to be held in and operated by one hand comprisingin its construction a tubular member including a tongue extending fromone end thereof, a reed secured in the member overlying the tongue, saidtongue being curved longitudinally on the surface thereof on which thereed lies, curving away from the latter, a tubular body into one end ofwhich the member is adapted to fit, a ribbon-like part extending betweenthe member and said body and slidable relative thereto and slidablyengaging at its inner extremity the said reed, the same being recin'vedits other end, and extending back upon and overlying the outer surifaceof the body terminating in an extension by which to shift it relativelyto said body and said member, and means affixed to the body throughwhich the ribbonlike part is slidable and by which it is guided andslidably secured upon said body.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIP S. 0LT.

lVitnesses T. Mo'rr, N. J. F RIEDRICH.

